Derbyshire Times editor Graeme Huston is reportedly overseeing the pilot, which is expected to last around six weeks.

Johnston Press has not responded to Press Gazette’s request for a comment, but a spokeswoman told Holdthefrontpage: “We have launched a pilot project in one area of the north Midlands, led by our editorial teams, which aims to transform the way we gather and disseminate news and information across multiple platforms.

“We are looking at ways of allowing our news teams to focus on specific areas of content and improving our reader experience.

“The pilot is a work in progress and as such we can’t – at this stage – comment on the specifics of the scheme, although do anticipate it will allow our news teams to fully embrace their community relationships whilst providing a 24/7 news and information service.”